Friday, July 26, 2013

Slowboat: A Microbrewery in the Hutongs

One of the things that has happened since I moved to China is that I haven't been drinking very much beer. I really prefer heavy wheat-y beers and bock beers or anything that doesn't taste mass produced {in the States, I do NOT drink anything labeled Budweiser, Coors, etc.}. I can get any quantity of beer here {Carlsberg, Tiger, Tsingtao, etc.}, but nothing that really hits the craving when I want a beer. It rather reminds me of being at a frat party {of which, I went to exactly two in college}, so I stick to wine and hard liquor {when I know its *real* hard liquor and not bathtub gin. Ick}.

But, there's this microbrewey in the middle of the Hutongs in Beijing called Slowboat. It's run by a few foreigners and aside from their great brews {I drank 3! That's a lot for me, lately} they also have fantastic American style burgers and a killer brat sandwich. More than anything, though, I love the atmosphere. This is my kind of place. Quiet, perfect for having long conversations and mingling with new people. It's definitely on my list of places to go when I need to get away to Beijing for a weekend.

For anyone who is curious, I tried the White IPA, and the All Hands Amber. Both were excellent choices.

What is your favorite kind of beer? What would you try off Slowboat's menu?